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- Visa-free travel to Europe will soon come to an end under new EU rules
Britons planning to travel to Europe next summer will need to apply for and pay for a US-style visa waiver.
Visa-free travel to Europe will soon come to an end as European officials have confirmed that the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) is set to go live next spring.
This means that travelers visiting the EU will need to apply for a visa waiver before traveling, similar to the current US ESTA system.
Britons abroad: Travellers will need to apply for a visa waiver if they travel to Europe next summer
Currently, passengers visiting Europe do not need a visa for short trips to EU or Schengen countries, if their stay is 90 days or less within a 180-day period or if they are visiting as tourists.
However, from next summer, Britons aged between 18 and 70 will have to pay a visa waiver of €7 (about £6), which will be valid for three years or until their passport expires.
EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson also confirmed that all visitors without EU passports will be fingerprinted and have their photographs taken on arrival, which will be checked on subsequent visits.
This is expected to add two to three minutes of processing time per passenger, compared with the current 45 seconds, according to The Times.
As with the US ESTA waiver, visitors will need to apply online or via an app and be screened by EU border and security systems.
While most applications are expected to be approved within minutes, it could take up to three days and more complex cases will take up to 30 days.
Johanssen explained: ‘With the (new system) we will know exactly who enters the Schengen area with a foreign passport.
‘We will know if people overstay, which will counter irregular migration. And the entry-exit system will make it harder for criminals, terrorists or Russian spies to use fake passports thanks to biometric identification, photographs and fingerprints.’
The new rules come just months after several Britons were hit by the 10-year passport rule when travelling to Europe.
Travelers used to be able to transfer up to nine months from an old passport to a new one, but after Brexit, EU countries are no longer accepting passports issued more than a decade ago.
It must also be valid for three months after the intended return date.
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